If your desire is to help other people, you must first have helped yourself. This does not mean that you need to be taken care of financially or educated at a university. It means that you cannot hope to help another person unless you have first had similar experiences and have come from those experiences with something motivational to share. Rarely will you find a motivational speaker or author who has little to say concerning challenges that they have had to overcome in order to get to the place that they are at today. Becoming someone that your children can look up to as a leader or someone that your parents can be proud of are great motivators in and of themselves. Have you ever heard the phrase "You have to practice what you preach"? This phrase is especially applicable here as in order be a motivator to others you have to lead by being a good example of what a motivator and a motivated person is like.

See the glass as half full

Optimism and motivation seem to go hand in hand. Motivation isn't usually a characteristic that you will get stops in the street for and asked about. But you may be stopped and asked why you are so happy or so optimistic. Motivated people are also typically optimists. If you cannot become excited about the thing that you are about to undertake, it will be hard to find the motivation to get something accomplished. People are looking for the things in life that will make them happy. If your ability to become a motivated person has also lead to a happier outlook on life, others will be able to see that there is something different about you. And perhaps even something that they want to have happen in their own lives.

Be realistic in your advice and expectations

A motivated individual realizes that realism definitely has its place when being optimistic. Hopping for the impossible is not a firm foundation for motivation. Motivation involves being aware of your goals and knowing what it will take to accomplish those goals. You should be optimistic in your expectations. Continually working towards something that is nearly impossible to obtain will only lead to frustration and discouragement. Such set backs can severely hinder your ability to remain motivated. Most people that you will come across will not want to hear stories about realistic expectations and succeeding against all odds simply because they do not believe that such things apply to them. When motivating others you should always encourage worthy goals but also give warning against expecting more from life than what you are willing to invest.

Being the motivator for yourself and for others is no simple task. Many people spend their whole lives trying to use motivation in order to attain goals, let alone have the ability to counsel others along the way. Most often the greatest motivators are born as a result of an exemplary life. We all have the same opportunities to lead our lives in a way that can motivate those around us.